fortitude? no. Nor will I betray my infirmities with hanging dull ears, and make them infult; but bear up bravely and conftantly. 'Tis but a day; and the remnant of my life shall be quiet and eafy. I have wedded a lamb; no tempefts shall henceforth disturb us, no found annoy us, louder than thy ftill, fmall voice, my love, soft as the whispering of fummer breezes, or fweet murmur of turtles. Wives are wild cats; but thou fhalt be a tame domestick animal, with velvet feet entering my chamber, and with the foft purring of delight and affection, inviting the hand of thy husband to ftroke thee. Come, lady. [Exeunt fondling.

W

Scene continues.

Enter Truewit, Clerimont.

Truewit.

AS there ever poor bridegroom so tormented? or man indeed?

Cler. I have not read of the like in the chro~

nicles of the land.

T2

Tru.

Tru. The laughter, dancing, noise of the mu fick, and of the whole family, almost distracts him.

Cler. And how fòberly Dauphine labours to fatisfy him, that it was none of his plot!

Tru. And has almoft brought him to the faith, i'the article. Here he comes.

Enter Dauphine.

Where is he now? What's become of him, Dauphine?

Dau. Oh, hold me up a little; I fhall go away i'the jeft elfe. He has got on his whole neft of night-caps, and lock'd himself up at the top o'the house, as high as ever he can climb from the noise. I peep'd in at a cranny, and faw him fitting over a cross beam o'the roof, like St. George o' horfeback, at the door of an ale-house; and he will fleep

there.

Cler. But where are your collegiates?

Dau. Withdrawn with the bride.

Tru. Oh, they are inftructing her in the college

grammar.

Dan. Methinks the lady Haughty looks well today.

Tru. I begin to fufpect you, Dauphine. Speak, art thou in love in earnest?

Dau

>

Dau. Yes, by my troth am I, with all the collegiates.

Cler. Out on thee. With all of them?

Tru. No; I like him well. Men fhould love wifely, and all the women. Thou wouldft think it ftrange, if I fhould make 'em all in love with thee afore night!

Dau. I would say, thou hadst the best Philtre the world, and couldst do more than madam Medea.

Tru. If I do not, let me play the mountebank, while I live, for my maintenance.

Dau. So be it, I fay.

Enter Otter, Daw, and La-Foole.

Otter. Oh lord, gentlemen, how my knights and I have mifs'd you here!

Cler. Why, captain, what fervice? what service? Otter. To fee me bring up my bull, bear, and horfe to fight,

Daw. Yes, faith, the captain fays we shall be his dogs to bait 'em.

Dau. A good employment.

Tru. Come on, let's fee your course then.

La-F. I am afraid my coufin will be offended if

the come.

T3

Otter?

Otter. Be afraid of nothing. Gentlemen, I have plac'd the drum and the trumpets, and one to give 'em the fign when you are ready. Here's my bull for myself, and my bear for Sir John Daw, and my horfe for Sir Amorous. Now fet your foot to mine, yours to his, and

La-F. Pray Heaven, my coufin come not.

Otter. Saint George and Saint Andrew fear no cousins. Come, found, found. Et rauco ftrepue[Trumpets. Tru. Well faid, Captain, i'faith; well fought at the bull!

runt cornua cantu.

Cler. Well held at the bear!

Tru. Low, low, captain.

Dau. Oh, the horse has kick'd off his dog aly ready.

La-F. I cannot drink it, as I am a knight. It goes against my confcience. My coufin will be angry with it.

Daw. I ha' done mine.

Tru. You fought high and fair, Sir John.

Cler. At the head.

Dau. Like an excellent bear-dog.

Otter. Sir Amorous, you must not equivocate. It

must be pull'd down, for all my coufin.

Cler. 'Sfoot, if you take not your drink, they'll

think you are discontented with something; you'll betray all if you take the least notice.

La-F. Not I, I'll both drink and talk then.

Otter. You must pull the horfe on his knees, Sir Amorous; fear no coufins.. Jacta eft alea.

Tru. Oh, now he's in his vein, and bold. The least hint given him of his wife now, will make him rail desperately.

Cler. Speak to him of her.

Tru. Do you, and I'll fetch her to the hearing of it.

[Exit. Dau. Captain He-Otter, your She-Otter is coming, your wife.

Otter. Wife! Buz. Titivilitium. There's no fuch thing in nature. I confefs, gentlemen, I have a cook, a laundress, a house-drudge, that serves me, and goes under that title: But he's an afs that will be fo uxorious to tie his affection to one. Wife! the name dulls appetite. A wife is a fcurvy clogdogdo, an unlucky thing, a very forefaid bear-whelp, without any good fashion or breeding; mala beftia.

[His wife is brought out to hear him by Truewit. Dau. Why did you marry one then, captain? Otter. I married with fix thoufand pound, I. I was in love with that. I have not kifs'd my fury these forty weeks.

Cler. The more to blame you, captain,